WIN: Who Is Next - Episode 7 "Wonderful Performance"

Hello again! Another week, another episode, another battle!

& I must say, both teams did exceptionally well, in my opinion. :D Of course, there will always be things to work on, but for this first singing performance for Round 2 of the battles, both teams had something about them that really surprised me. So let’s begin!

Following the order of their performances, we will start with…

Team B:

Off the bat, I was shocked at how well they harmonized in the very beginning. Because of the fact that Team B’s rapping was always the heavier aspect of their performances, we never really got to see their vocalists shine, so I assumed they weren’t that great. Obviously, I was wrong! The layering of vocals during the “Yeah Yeah Yeah, Yeah Yeah Yeah" at the end was really good as well. I especially enjoyed Donghyuk’s voice during that part. 

Their visuals & concept was exactly what they were going for, very fresh. It was cute & boyish, which I really liked. I feel like it fits their personalities, age, & style of that particular song very well. I have to point out the very beginning where Yunhyeong, Jinhwan, Donghyuk, & Joonhwe turned around, smiling, & started singing, it was too cute! That would definitely catch the hearts of all their female fans. ;P 

The way they arranged the song to fit their individual parts was good too. I like how they changed the lyrics to as well. I particularly preferred B.I’s lyrics over Bobby’s, but I like how during Bobby’s part, it was remixed to fit his stronger rapping style & had a bit of jazz feel to it. 

In reference to what the judges had to say:

• I agree with JYP when he says that since they moved into a Pop style versus their usual Hip-Hop style, Bobby’s performance wasn’t as strong. & I think that’s just because since Bobby’s rapping style is very husky & strong, he would have to hold back on such a lighter genre of music. I also agree with his comment that B.I did very well. Hanbin seems to be able to transition into any genre, which is a very good trait to have in that industry. (& Did anyone else see a little bit of GD in this performance from him? Hahah)
• I tried really hard to listen throughout the performance to understand Yoon Jongshin’s comment on how Donghyuk & Joonhwe’s singing method’s were the same, but I kept hearing more similarities between Joonhwe & Yunhyeong. (Please let me know what you guys think!) But I do agree that, among vocalists, having distinct voices would be very good. When you listen to a group, it’s always nice to be able to pinpoint who’s who. Individually, I can hear their varying styles, but when singing together, I can understand how their voices aren’t that differentiated.
• I really appreciate how Lee Hyun Do backed up Team B’s performance saying that even though Yoon Jongshin had said their facial expressions were unnatural, which with any Pop song, I have yet to see a legit natural expression from anyone, they brought this live, positive energy to the stage. They wanted us to see how hard they worked & that shined through.

These judges know their stuff &, in my opinion, were somewhat of harsh critics, but that is necessary if these boys are going to get any better. 

Moving on…

Team A:

Again, off the bat, this group’s vocals are no joke. I still stand by my opinion that Team A’s vocals are better than Team B’s. 

There was nothing in their movements or singing that particularly stood out to me, but their visuals & concept as a whole was what I was most impressed with. For those of you that don’t know, Officially Missing You was/is (not sure which to use?) a song by Tamia that was originally about missing an old love, an old relationship. I really, really like Seungyoon’s idea to remake it into a song to reminisce about their old selves, the pre-trainee days. I thought that was a brilliant idea because it made the song a lot more personal. 

Because they wrote lyrics to reflect their personal stories, it seemed like they could relate to the song, the emotion, & performance 10x better than they have in the past. I felt more of their emotions in this performance. Their lyrics also let us see more of who they are, which is a great way to get the audience to fall in love with you. (& Even though it may or may not have been their idea, I loved seeing their baby pictures in the background. ( ^ - ^ ) Haha)

I forgot to mention that I really love Taehyun’s voice. **two thumbs up** 

In regards to what the judges had to say:

• Yoon Jongshin pointed out Minho’s little mistake in the beginning where he missed a beat, but also said that it wasn’t that important to him. When I first heard it I was thinking, “Whaat? Uh.. Was that a mistake?" & I definitely agree that it wasn’t that important because the way Minho just kept going with the flow of the lyrics & recovered from it made it a very minute detail. He also said that Taehyun needed more emotion, which I can understand why because even though you could tell he was very immersed in the singing aspect of the performance, it was like scratching the surface of emotions that he could have shown. I also concur that they all had great expressions & emotion when they stepped out together at the end.
• Lee Hyundo said that he felt like Seunghoon’s rap was too strong for the sadness & beauty of the song, which I can also understand, but I think if he turned it down just a slight notch, he would have been fine. He said Kang Seungyoon had slightly weird pronunciations, but since I’m not fluent in Korean & I never expect their English to be perfect, I didn’t really notice that. Despite his criticisms, I’m glad he noticed how beautiful & powerful their harmony was.
• JYP, with the most critiques, first pointed out that Seungyoon put too much vibrations in his singing. I’m honestly not quite sure what he meant by that & I tried to look it up, but I still don’t quite understand, so if you know what he’s talking about, let me know! But I felt like Seungyoon was trying to put too much emphasis into his notes while he was singing, like he was trying a little too hard. Like JYP said, he’s already a good singer & that extra emphasis was not necessary. Again, a problem with not understanding what they were saying was pointed out, but with Seunghoon this time, & since I’m not fluent in Korean, it didn’t stand out to me. Lastly, he pointed out exactly what I was thinking for Jinwoo. The talent is there, but he always looks so nervous & worried to me. He needs to get rid of that mentality of trying not to make a mistake & just trust himself! That could go for all of them actually, but particularly Jinwoo in this performance.

Even though they received a lower score than Team B & had some harsh criticisms, I think Team A had a much better performance than I’ve seen before. I feel like there was more emotion in this performance & was definitely a lot more relatable. I know the criticisms are said to help them improve, but I wish they were given a bit more credit for how well they did.

Overall, I think both teams really hit their concepts exceptionally well. It also showed how different these two groups are, especially when it comes to age. Team B’s performance was more light & cute, while Team A’s was definitely a more emotional & mature stage. & I think YG may have given them their particular songs because of this. Because I do think that sometimes cuteness can only go so far or last so long, I did like Team A’s performance a little more than I did Team B’s. Team B’s performance did have me giggling & fangirling with uncontrollable feels. Haha But Team A’s personal performance hit home for me & just made me see how far they’ve come for this dream.

I’m definitely looking forward to their self-composed songs & choreography in the next episode. :)

Once again, I would like to thank you so much for reading! & I somewhat apologize for always having such long reviews, but I want to make sure that both teams receive fair criticisms. & Again, thank you.

P.S.

The dongsaengs’ letters to their hyungs, within Team B, was so sweet & touching, I almost cried. These boys are just too humble & kind. <3